Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Let me be real transparent.

I read this book because my person loves chess. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I wasn’t trying to feel some type of way because I was. I also love chess. I came second in a tournament when I was seven or eight (Yes I’m trying to flex) and I’ve always liked the strategy in it. I came across Check and Mate on Bookstagram and I immediately bought it. No hesitation.

I was not disappointed. Not entirely, at least.

Mallory has sworn she would never play chess again. That is, until her best friend asks her to play in a charity tournament with her years after she had quit. Mallory begrudgingly shows up, only to wipe the floor with the bad boy of chess, “Kingkiller” Nolan. The victory opens doors for her, allows for a different stream of income to provide for her family with, and she can’t help but feel drawn to the mysterious chess prodigy, Nolan.

This book has several things I adore and a few things I hate. As usual, I’ll start off with the things that made me want to claw my eyeballs out.

Mallory was a smidge infuriating. She was selfless to an unbearable extent. A large part of her character was that she is the older sister who has been parentified and can no longer enjoy her childhood or pursue her dreams. As a result of this, she was selfless to an excruciating extent. She did not think of herself and it made her dense and annoying, especially towards the end of the book. She was standing in her own way.

The stinking pop culture references made me want to rip my hair out. They were painful in the first half of the book, less so in the latter half, but they shouldn’t have been there at all. Not only do they ruin the immersion, but they will age incredibly poorly. I do not want to read about TikTok, Riverdale, and Timothy Chalamet in the books I read. I don’t even pay attention to these things in real life. In a few years, these references will become obscure, dated, and will only serve to put distance between the story and the reader.

Now that I’ve gotten the hateful things out of the way…

Can I please gush about the most precious character, Nolan?

I know people are drawn to talent. That’s why authors make characters extremely talented and attractive. But it wasn’t just Nolan’s ability to play amazing chess that made him attractive. It was the fact that he knew what he wanted and he worked for it. He didn’t beat around the bush. When he started playing chess, he knew he wanted to win, so he worked for it. He played Mallory, knew he wanted to play her again, so he made sure the opportunity arose again.

I also love that he fell first. It was adorable.

This book has some hilarious lines. There were several times when I was cackling in bed, kicking my feet and gripping my kindle.

“I bite the inside of my cheek. Honestly, I think I’m going on him. ‘But this is my emotional support sandwich.’

‘Then have a mental breakdown.’ He turn-signals and swerves to the right so hard, I almost hit my head against the window.”

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood, pg 76.

“It was a disaster. It qualifies for federal relief–I didn’t deserve to win.”

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood, pg 81.

“‘You usually run away from me. Are you going to?’

He’s right. He’s also rude. ‘You usually lose your king to me. Are you going to?'”

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood, pg. 118.

I’m still chuckling about these quotes as I write them here.

The romance was a highlight for me. I love how open and honest Nolan was with Mallory (even though she was a little unbearable) and how he prioritized her. Some of the things he says to her…

I was going to quote them here, but I’ve decided to let you come across them on your own when you read the book.

The chess references didn’t fly over my head. I never felt lost or confused. I never felt like I was being talked down to. It was seamless in regards to guiding a reader through chess rules and immersing them in Mallory’s narrative.

Overall, the book was a fun read. I read it in two days.

3/5 because Mallory made me want to pull my hair out. Also, the pop culture references were cringe. I don’t like cringing when I read.

“When I’m with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.”

Ali Hazelwood, Check and Mate